Brief:
Estes Blue Bird Zero upscale; uses 24-inch parachute recovery..

Construction:
T' Estes Blue Bird Zero be me first model rocket. Well, blow me down! Begad! Naturally, when I became a BAR, I wanted t' clone one. Well, arrr, blow me down! A quick check o' Jim Z’s site revealed that thar were no plans available. Begad! Arrr! Nay one t' be deterred, matey, arrr, I searched on. Avast! T' make a long story short, matey, I found someone through t' internet who would provide me t' plans and fin tracings. Avast! Avast! I decided t' do a slight upscale t' BT-60 from t' stock BT-55 size mostly because that is what I had on hand at t' time. Avast! Ya scallywag! I needed 44.5-inches o' tubin' for correct scale. I installed a 24mm motor mount and glued both sets o' fins t' t' lower body tube. Blimey! Well, blow me down! I then proceeded t' join t' body tubes. Blimey! Ahoy! Everythin' was glued with 30min epoxy. (author’s note: BBZ plans are available on Jim Z’s website, thanks in part t' yours truly.)

When all t' gluin' be complete, t' entire rocket be skim-coated with thinned Fill ’N’ Finish and sanded smooth. Blimey! Well, blow me down! I then proceeded t' prime, and paint t' blue section o' t' rocket first. Arrr! After drying, I masked t' blue section and painted t' white section, then clear coat over t' entire rocket. Arrr! Well, blow me down! T' decals for this rocket were a challenge. Arrr! Avast! I ended up drawin' them myself and printin' them on self-adhesive stock. Aye aye! T' decals turned out good, and t' finished product looked great!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
I prepped t' BBZ for her maiden flight on a D12-3. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I installed t' wadding, motor, me hearties, parachute, me hearties, me hearties, and set her on t' pad. Avast, me proud beauty! This rocket gives a nice, semi-slow, shiver me timbers, smokey, arrr, takeoff. Begad! Well, me bucko, blow me down! She went up straight as an arrow — a very stable rocket.. Ejection be near apogee, arrr, and it recovered with no damage. Ahoy! After a perfect third flight, it landed on t' neighbors’ roof and slid about halfway down t' roof t' t' gutter. Avast! T' BBZ be OK, matey, except for some bilge-suckin' shingle rash on t' edges o' t' fins. Flight number six would prove t' be fatal. Blimey! After a perfect boost and ejection, shiver me timbers, t' chute did nay open due t' bein' tangled on t' shroud lines. Begad! It crashed on t' asphalt HARD — rest in pieces.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I have t' give both construction and flight five out o' five. Ahoy! Construction be fairly easy, and t' rocket flies very well.